CHAPTER VIII 
ON LOADING PUNT-GUNS 
In another chapter we discuss the question of ignition for punt- 
guns. At present we turn our attention to loads and the load- 
ing of these weapons. Everybody knows that a gun, to shoot 
well, must be carefully and properly loaded, and it is quite as 
easy to do this correctly as otherwise. Every gun requires its 
correct charge to give its best shooting. Overloading of the 
powder charge is really worse than underloading, because the 
excess of powder is only blown out of the gun unburnt, and 
develops gases outside the gun, which find their way amongst 
the shot and scatter it. Besides this, the over-quantity of 
powder is against the correct working of the other parts of the 
charge, resulting in open patterns, which simply means weak 
penetration. It is an error to think that large quantities of 
powder in proportion to shot benefit the shooting of a 
gun; nevertheless, many people imagine this. A charge of 
powder with the doubt cast on the full side may be well, but 
further quantities are only detrimental to good practice. On 
the other hand, an under-load of powder can only be ex- 
pected to result in bad penetration of the shot, especially 
if this latter is not proportionately reduced. Good patterns 
of shot can be secured by using light loads of powder and 
keeping the shot charge constant; but what is the use of 
pattern if the penetration is bad? Every size of bore in 
swivel-guns—in fact, to be exact, every gun—may be said to 
have a load with which it shoots best. Most guns, however, 
205 
